Subject: Emotion

Inter-Observer Repeatability of Indicators of Consciousness after Waterbath Stunning in Broiler Chickens

Alexandra Contreras-Jodar, Aranzazu Varvaró-Porter, Virginie Michel, Antonio Velarde

Published in 2022

A study proposing an improved list of indicators available for use in commercial abattoirs to ensure the consistency of assessments of the effectiveness of electrostunning in broilers. Prior to bleeding, it is better to check for breathing than for blinking or spontaneous vocalizations. During bleeding, the recommended indicators are breathing, wing flapping and head shaking.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Poultry

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Carcass quality, Pain, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Stress

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Impact of Procedures and Human-Animal Interactions during Transport and Slaughter on Animal Welfare of Pigs: A Systematic Literature Review

Rudi Isbrandt, Mechthild Wiegard, Diana Meemken, Nina Langkabel

Published in 2022

Systematic review of the literature to identify animal-based and management-based indicators that could be influenced by changes in handling procedures for feeder pigs on the day of slaughter. Factors with the highest impact on pig welfare were the calmness of operators when handling animals, reduction of environmental noise and transport time, and control of stunning effectiveness.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Human-animal relationships, Stress

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Investigating risk factors behind piglet facial and sow teat lesions through a literature review and a survey on teeth reduction

Jen-Yun Chou, Jeremy N. Marchant, Elena Nalon, Thuy T. T. Huynh, Heleen A. van de Weerd, Laura A. Boyle, Sarah H. Ison

Published in 2022

Scientific article identifying 6 named categories and one general category of risk factors for lesions on the faces of piglets and on sow teats when no piglet teeth resection has been carried out.They are: presence or absence of teeth resection; housing system; litter size; piglet management; environmental enrichment; milk production; and other piglet management practices.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Pain, Enrichment, Lactation, Housing, Stress

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Annual report of the EFSA Networks on Animal Welfare 2022

EFSA

Published in 2022

Report of the 2022 meeting which dealt with the revision of the European animal welfare regulations, the associated EFSA opinions with a presentation of those published in 2022 and a progress report on those in progress, and with the work of the expert subgroup for animal welfare and the subgroup on national contact points.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories:Bovines, Porcines, Ruminants, Poultry

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Consciousness, Enrichment, Risk management, Welfare indicators, Living environment, Mutilation, Human-animal relationships, Stress, Livestock farming system, Transport, Pain

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Individual behavioral correlates of tail biting in pre-finishing piglets

Marc Bagaria, Laura Kuiper, Ellen Meijer, Elisabeth H. M. Sterck

Published in 2022

Scientific paper showing that tail lesions are present in 2/3 of a group of pre-finishing piglets, that they are usually minor and that the majority of piglets both bite and are bitten. The piglets that bite most are those with the highest levels of exploratory behaviour.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Porcines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Welfare indicators, Living environment, Stress

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Age, empathy, familiarity, domestication and call features enhance human perception of animal emotion expressions

Jasmin Sowerby Greenall , Lydia Cornu , Anne-Laure Maigrot , Monica Padilla de la Torre,Elodie F. Briefer

Published in 2022

Scientific article reporting on the results of an online survey testing the ability of humans to perceive levels of emotional arousal and distinguish between positive/negative emotions (valence) conveyed by the vocalisations of six species of wild and domestic ungulates. Respondents were better at assessing arousal levels, with less variations between individual species, than at identifying valence.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords : Human-animal relationships

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A systematic review of equid welfare at slaughter

K.A. Fletcher, G. Limon, L.J. Whatford, A. Grist, T.G. Knowles, T.J. Gibson

Published in 2022

Scientific review that reveals a lack of published studies assessing welfare levels in equines at slaughter, particularly donkeys and mules in low-income countries, and highlights the need to develop an evidence-based knowledge base to improve guidance in this area.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Equines

Keywords:Consciousness, Pain, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Stress

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Pre-slaughter stress mitigation in goats: Prospects and challenges

Pavan Kumar, Abubakar Ahmed Abubakar, Muideen Adewale Ahmed, Muhammad Nizam Hayat, Ubedullah Kaka, Mirian Pateiro, Awis Qurni Sazili, Louwrens C. Hoffmann, Jose M.Lorenzo

Published in 2022

Scientific review of pre-slaughter stress factors, the associated indicators and the methods of management specific to goats, in order to facilitate decision making to minimize pre-slaughter stress in goats and improve goat meat quality.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Caprines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Welfare indicators, Carcass quality, Societal issues, Stress, Transport

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Investigating the impact of pre-slaughter management factors on indicators of fed beef cattle welfare - a scoping review

Melissa Davis, Paxton Sullivan, Jimena Breton, Lauren Dean, Lily N. Edwards-Callaway

Published in 2022

Scientific review identifying that pre-slaughter management factors related to transport and handling, and behavioral and physiological welfare indicators were the topics most commonly addressed in studies on the relationships between pre-slaughter management factors and welfare of beef cattle at slaughter.

Document Types: Scientific review

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Animal-based measurements, Societal issues, Welfare indicators, Stress, Transport

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Development of human-directed behavior in dairy calves reared individually or in pairs

S.B. Doyle, E.E. Lindner, K.N. Gingerich, E.K. Miller-Cushon

Published in 2022

Scientific paper showing the persistent effects of the social housing of early life dairy calves (singly or in pairs) on human-directed behaviours, a phenomenon that may have implications for long-term management.

Document Types: Scientific paper

Animal categories: Bovines

Keywords:Adaptation of the animal to the environment, Enrichment, Housing, Human-animal relationships

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